High heel gifts: “upcycled” stilettos

Christmas is coming, and we’re starting to look at some unusual high heel gifts for the stiletto lovers in your life. Recycled “stripper heels” that have been planted with succulents probably fall into this category.

Rachel Mahlke sells these unusual gifts through her Etsy shop Giddy Spinster for around $50-$80, depending on the shoe. The heel above is a size six platform stiletto which has had its top removed, been sanded, drilled with holes for drainage, and then planted it with an aloe plant. It’s available for $55.

Giddy Spinster also sells high heel bookends, such as the set pictured below. Described by Mahlke as “a visual reminder of the increasingly artificial representations of femininity in American culture” they’re available for $145.